Factor VIIa is a plasma serine protease involved in the initiation of the coagulation cascade. It binds with high affinity to tissue factor in the presence of calcium ions to form a complex with enhanced proteolytic activity (Carson, S. D. and Brozna, J. P. Blood Coag. Fibrinol. 1993, 4, 281-292). The tissue factor/factor VIIa complex initiates blood coagulation by proteolytic cleavage of factor X to factor Xa, factor IX to factor IXa and additional factor VII to VIIa. Ultimately, the activity of factor VIIa induces the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin. Thrombin coverts fibrinogin to fibrin, which forms a clot through polymerization.
While blood coagulation is essential to the regulation of an organism's hemostasis, it is also involved in many pathological conditions. For instance, thrombosis, or formation of a clot which obstructs circulation, plays a key role in unstable angina, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral occlusive arterial disease, pulmonary embolism, and other diseases.
Because of its key role in the coagulation cascade, researchers have postulated that inhibition of factor VIIa could be used to treat or prevent thrombotic disease. (Girard, T. J.; Nicholson, N. S. Curr. Opin. Pharmacol. 2001, 1, 159-163). Work has accordingly been performed to identify and optimize factor VIIa inhibitors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,542 describes recombinant nematode anticoagulant proteins which inhibit factor VIIa. U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,442 discloses monoclonal antibodies or antibody fragments possessing factor VIIa inhibitory activity, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,236 presents tripeptides and tripeptide derivatives that inhibit factor VIIa.
An alternative way of initiation of coagulation is operative when blood is exposed to artificial surfaces (e.g., during hemodialysis, ‘on-pump’ cardiovascular surgery, vessel grafts, bacterial sepsis). This process is also termed contact activation. Surface absorption of factor XII leads to a conformational change in the factor XII molecule, thereby facilitating activation to proteolytic active factor XII molecules (factor XIIa and factor XIIf). Factor XIIa (or XIIf) has a number of target proteins, including plasma prekallikrein and factor XI. Active plasma kallikrein further activates factor XII, leading to an amplification of contact activation. Contact activation is a surface mediated process responsible in part for the regulation of thrombosis and inflammation, and is mediated, at least in part, by fibrinolytic-, complement-, kininogen/kinin-, and other humoral and cellular pathways (for review, Coleman, R. Contact Activation Pathway, pages 103-122 in Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2001; Schmaier A. H. Contact Activation, pages 105-128 in Thrombosis and Hemorrhage, 1998).
Plasma kallikrein is a zymogen of a trypsin-like serine protease and is present in plasma at 35 to 50 μg/mL. The gene structure is similar to that of factor XI, overall, the amino acid sequence of plasma kallikrein has 58% homology to factor XI. Proteolytic activation by factor XIIa at an internal I389-R390 bond yields a heavy chain (371 amino acids) and a light chain (248 amino acids). The active site of kallikrein is contained in the light chain. The light chain of plasma kallikrein reacts with protease inhibitors, including alpha 2 macroglobulin and C1-inhibitor. Interestingly, heparin significantly accelerates the inhibition of plasma kallikrein by antithrombin III in the presence of high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK). In blood, the majority of plasma kallikrein circulates in complex with HMWK. Kallikrein cleaves HMWK to liberate bradykinin. Bradykinin release results in increase of vascular permeability and vasodilation (for review, Coleman, R. Contact Activation Pathway, pages 103-122 in Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2001; Schmaier A. H. Contact Activation, pages 105-128 in Thrombosis and Hemorrhage, 1998).
Separate from the compounds reported herein, some benzamidine and benzylamine compounds have been reported in WO 02/62778 as antithrombotic compounds; and in WO 02/64578, WO 02/64598, and WO 02/64599 as matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. The scope of the present invention is considered not to be exemplified nor suggested by the above references.
While a number of factor VIIa inhibitors have been discussed in the art, improved inhibitors, especially non-peptide inhibitors, of serine proteases for the treatment of thromboembolic disorders are always desirable. The present invention discloses novel heterocyclic compounds, and analogues thereof, as inhibitors of coagulation Factor VIIa and as such are useful in the treatment of thromboembolic disorders.
In addition, it is also desirable to find new compounds with improved pharmacological characteristics compared with known serine protease inhibitors. For example, it is preferred to find new compounds with improved factor VIIa inhibitory activity and selectivity for factor VIIa versus other serine proteases. Also, it is preferred to find new compounds with improved plasma kallikrein inhibitory activity and selectivity for plasma kallikrein versus other serine proteases. Also, it is preferred to find new compounds with improved activity in in vitro clotting assays, such as the prothrombin time (PT) assay or activated partial thromboplastin time assay (APTT) (for a description of the PT and APTT assays see, Goodnight, S. H.; Hathaway, W. E. Screening Tests of Hemostasis. Disorders of Thrombosis and Hemostasis: a clinical guide, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill: New York, 2001 pp. 41-51). It is also desirable and preferable to find compounds with advantageous and improved characteristics in one or more of the following categories, but are not limited to: (a) pharmaceutical properties, including oral bioavailability; (b) dosage requirements; (c) factors which decrease blood concentration peak-to-trough characteristics; (d) factors that increase the concentration of active drug at the receptor; (e) factors that decrease the liability for clinical drug-drug interactions; (f) factors that decrease the potential for adverse side-effects; and, (g) factors that improve manufacturing costs or feasibility.